Door-latching device



Jan, 6, v I A. GERME K DOOR LATCHING DEVICE I Filed March 5/ 1924 v sSheetsSheet 1 WITNESS: ATTORNEY 1,521,678 A. GERMEK 7 DOOR LATCHINGDEVICE v Filed March 5, 1924 3QSheetS-Sheet '5.

' Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

v UNITED STATES f I hpplicati onifil ed March-8,

' citizen of the United States, residing at Kingston, in the county ofLuzerner and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful"Improvements in Door' Latchin g Devices, "of,,whicl'1 the following isaspecificationil H v v a This invention relates to door latches and hasfor an ob jec't'to provide a latch which is especially, adapted foruseflupon drop bottom or'hopper cars and similar containers, M

' Another objectof the invention is theprovision of a latch by ",nieanso-f fwhich car doors and thellike inay jbelrheld tightly closed tovprevent -coal dustjior ;other fine material from sifting out betweenthedoor and frame,and"which in"addition; may be easily opened'oi closedeven; though agheavy load may 'be'bearing aj ainst the door. Y

Another object of .t 'e invention. Y is the provision of a a "guide"plate having means, co-operating withthe latch to liinit pivotalmovement of the latter so as to prevent the said latch 'jfrom springingf'tooyfar away from the door when the latter is slammed. shut and' thusinsure proper latching of the door before the latter can spring awayfromthe do'onfranie'. n i 7 With the above and otherobjects in view, 7

the invention further; includesthe follow-.1

, ing novel features and details of construe tion; to be hereinaftenmorefully described, illustrated inj' the accompanying drawings and pointedout in the appended claims.

ln'the drawingsz-e v v Figure l ,is' "anfragmentary elevation of aportion of a hopper car'with the invention applied. f i

Figure.,2-. is a. bottomzplan showing the .doorin closed po'sition; Y

Figure. 3' is a vertical sectional view through one endl'of the keeperban and showing the position of a inch barin releasing the la tch, theview Y eing on an enlar edscale. I

igure 4 is a like view showing the use.- of a pinch bar in closing thedoor.

Figure 5 is'a detail perspective view of one end of the keeper bar.

Fi re 6 is a view-similar to Figure 3 but i lustrating the manner ofreleasing the latch byinserting a pinch bar from below; Figure 7 v is aview similar to Figure 4 showing the manner :of securing the door istightly 1924. lsn n ;csassrf j bar fromrabove;

one of theguidezplates:v

Referringr in ,-detail .ytoij v a y I in sthe I Be itknownjthjatL-Annnnw GERMEK, a W

wherein like characters-30f :re'ference denote} v corre's ond ingpartsnthje reference fcharacter, 3 10 m 1cates; 'aj'port10n". of the 'sidefiof a; I frelght, car,:. such; as a; hopper orgondola" carhavin'gdoolfsv ll ;for,- closingtheiahopeperw Y bottom,- 3- the; saiddoors} being hinge mounted" as shown'at 12. As v is well known, these Idoes-ash 1 conslderable welght and considerable .force is requiredtorelease their latching or hold- 2 ing means, especially; where as inthe case of the present; invention) thedoors are ca pable ofbeingtightlyand securely held in :clos d Position:

The latching meahsof thIE v a the outer face of: eachof thedoorsr:1 '1,the' tioncomprises a keeper bar .13'.-which ex-E Y tends transverselyacross andqi's secured to;

edges of the doon and 'being" provided with A 1 an in'clinedlor beveledshoulder l4'v which is v Y engaged by a" latch; 15, one of. Which-'is-1S5 of each of the doors 11. ,7 If;desired, -'ajguide"' Y pivotallysecured to the hopper at eachfside l te-(1611m be ,provided for each" orthe atches. 5"

. The latches 15;;areof novel castration Y and each includes a main?bill-C17 .3 andi'ail' supplemental bill; 18;, ';the formerg' fig overthe beveled shoulderr14-whenthe oorj closed and the latter engaging overa said shoulder-When the door is partlyiopeng,

both positions of engagement beingshown in Figurel: of the drawings: it

- The outer extremities; of the'keepe'r' Y 13 each includesaiheadlQwhichis= hollowed out as shown at 20- and formedWithalowa er wallhaving aninner inclined face The upper. wall of the head '19 is; f0'rmed withoppositely beveled .faces 22 nd' 23,

whose purposes will'be resently exp ained.

The latch 15 has exten ing laterally-therefrom a lug 24, which, whenthelatch'is in closed-position will be spaced from thehead In openingand closing'the latch there is utilized a lever or bar, such as apinch-bar '25 and to releasethe latch, thisbar is posi tioned assliownin Figure 3, that is, thebarfi is inserted between the'inclinedoface 23 of pressure upon the outer end of the bar will causethe same to fulcrum at the meeting edges of the beveled faces 22, and 23so as to lift the latch bill, 17 -from engagement with" the beveledshoulder 14. If desired the latch may be fully released, or the keeperbar may be engaged with the supplemental bill 18 to temporarily andpartially open of the main bill 17 of the latch; The latthe door anddischarge a portion: ofthe contents of the car,:or a further movement ofthe bar 25- will wholly release the latch and permit the door tofullyopen.--

Inlatches desi ed for the purposes above stated, considera le difficultyis experienced" b the'latch failing toengage the door when t e latter isslammed sh'ut. This is due to the fact that in its closingmovement,thedoor strikes the latch and throws it so "far away from the door thatthe-latter rebounds or falls away from the door frame before the latchreturns to engaging position. The

extends-inwardly fromthe guide plate 16.

When the door is in open position, down- I "\vardpivotal movement ofthelatch will be limited' either by the edge of the latch engaging-thebottom of the guide plate or by the-upper. flange 26 engaging-the lug27.

Thus thezbill 18 will be in position to be engaged by the keeperbar asthe door moves toa closed position. The engagement of the keeper barwith the bill 18 will'icause an upward pivotal'movement of the latch,

the movement being limited by the engagement of the lower marginalfiange 26 with the lug 27 ,-so that before the door can-re bound too farawa from the car'the bill 18 of' the latch wil" engagethe keeper bar sothat the door wiil'be held for final clos ing action through the use ofthe pinch bar 25.

v The parts are so proportioned that in order to securely and tightlyclose the door, engagement of the main bill of the latch with thekeeperbar is dificult or practically impossible without theuseof a bar such"asthe pinch bar 25. The supplemental bill of the latch may be engagedwith the keeper bar by hand and thepinch bar thereafter inserted withinthe head 19 and engaged ter will thus be securely and easily held inclosed position. r P a The invention is susceptible 'ofvarious changesin its form, proportions and minor details of construction and'the'right is herein reserved to make such ,ohanges'asproperly fall withinthe scope jof the appended claims.

vHaving describedthe invention 'what is claimed is':'

1. A car door securing device comprising a keeper bar, carriedflby andextending be yond the vedge of said door; a pivotally mounted latchadapted'to'engage the keeper bar, a" latch engaging shoulder providedupon the keeperbar, a lug extending laterally from the latch and ajbarengaging portion formed on the keeper bar, saidportion comprising ahollow head,"a lower inclined inner bottom wall [for saidhead and anupper outer reversely inclined wall also included in said head. I

2. In a car 'door securing device, a pivotally mounted latch, a keeperbar for engagement by the'latoh, a guide plate (secured over thelatch, alug extendingefro said plate and stops carried by the latch forengagement with the lug tolimit" pivotal movement of saidlatoh; A j j 3.In a car door securing device, a pivotally mounted latch, a keeperbarfor engagement by the latch, a guide'plate positioned over 'the latchand adapted tojbe secured to and spaced from "the car, spaced marginalflanges upon the latch and a lug extending inwardly from the guide platefor engagement by the flanges to limit pivotal movement of the latch. Av

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

ANDREW GERMEK.

